Piling cover

ABSTRACT

A piling cover. The piling cover includes a body having a tubular cylindrical shape. The body is hollow and further includes an open bottom end leading into an internal compartment of the body. The body is made of a resilient and compressible material such that, upon impact the body deforms and then retains its original shape. The piling cover is placed over a piling of a dock and disperses energy when a boat hits the piling, thereby preventing damage to the boat.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/545,126, filed Aug. 14, 2017 and U.S. provisional application No. 62/595,684, filed Dec. 17, 2017, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pilings and, more particularly, to a boat fender that fits over a dock piling.

A dock is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. Docks may include piers that are made of fixed platforms supported by pilings. The boats are topically tied to the pilings when docked. The pilings may damage the boat due to the constant movement of the boat by the water.

As can be seen, there is a need for a cover for the pilings that absorbs energy from a boat impact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of protective boats at a dock comprising steps of: providing a piling cover comprising: a body comprising a tubular cylindrical shape and having an open bottom end, wherein the body is made of a resilient and compressible material; inserting a piling of the dock into the body through the open bottom end such that the piling cover covers a substantial portion of the piling disposed above water.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating its placement onto a piling;

FIG. 4 is a section view of the present invention, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

The present invention includes a piling cover that slides over a dock piling. The piling cover may surround the piling and thereby cover all sides of the piling, including the top. The piling cover protects boats from being damaged by the pilings of a dock when they are tied to the dock.

Referring now to the FIGS. 1 through 8, the present invention includes a piling cover 10. The piling cover 10 includes a body 12 having a tubular cylindrical shape. The body 12 is hollow and further includes an open bottom end 16 leading into an internal compartment of the body 12. The body 12 is made of a resilient and compressible material such that, upon impact, the body 12 substantially deforms and then retains its original shape. The piling cover 10 is placed over a piling 20 of a dock 18 and disperses energy when a boat hits the piling 20, thereby preventing damage to the boat.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, the piling cover 10 may further include a cap 14. The cap 14 may include a dome shape. The cap 14 is affixed to a top end of the body 12. The cap 14 may be made of the resilient and compressible material. The cap 14 covers a top end of the piling 20 and thereby prevents damage to anything that hits the top end of the piling 20. In certain embodiments, the cap 14 and the body 12 are unitary.

Referring to FIG. 4, in certain embodiments the resilient and compressible material is a foam 21. The foam 21 may be an open or closed cell foam. For example, the foam 21 is polyethylene plastic. Referring to FIG. 5, in certain embodiments the resilient and compressible material includes an inflatable and deflatable bladder 25. The inflatable and deflatable bladder 25 releases air through a valve upon impact and inflates with air through the valve when the impact has ceased.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 8, a body 22 of the present invention may include an open top end 24 and an open bottom end 24. The body 22 of such embodiments fits over the piling 20 of the dock 18, preventing damage to boats that are tied to the dock 18.

A method of protective boats at a dock comprises steps of: providing the piling cover described above; and inserting a piling of the dock into the body through the open bottom end such that the piling cover covers a substantial portion of the piling disposed above water. A substantial portion of the piling disposed above water is defined as covering more than half of the piling that is disposed above the water line of a body of water.

The piling covers can be made in varying lengths to accommodate various sizes of pilings. For taller pilings multiple sections can be installed. The diameter of the piling covers can vary depending on the diameter of the piling that is covered.

The piling covers for the top of the piling could be customized to include solar panels with attached lighting, or decorative pieces like a small statue of a bird or a fish embedded in the top of the piece. The piling covers have a very basic design but can be customized with various colors and designs. The present invention may include decorative attachments for the top piece as well as logos and other designs.

The piling covers may be made at a manufacturing plant using a stainless steel or aluminum mold and a process called rotational molding. The powder form of the plastic polymer is poured into the mold and then it is rotated through an oven and subsequently a cooling chamber while being rotated around multiple axes.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of protective boats at a dock comprising steps of: providing a piling cover comprising: a body comprising a tubular cylindrical shape and having an open bottom end, wherein the body is made of a resilient and compressible material; inserting a piling of the dock into the body through the open bottom end such that the piling cover covers a substantial portion of the piling disposed above water.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the piling cover further comprising a cap comprising a dome shape and affixed to a top end of the body, wherein the cap covers a top end of the piling.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cap is made of the resilient and compressible material.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cap and the body are unitary.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resilient and compressible material comprises an inflatable and deflatable bladder.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the resilient and compressible material comprises a foam.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the foam is polyethylene.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an open top end. 